My name is Chashie Gwertzman. I am Daniel Gwertzman's wife. Tamir is my cousin. He is my first cousin's eldest and only son. Tamir has 2 younger sisters.
Tamir just 'celebrated' his 20th birthday this last Friday (November 15th), his second birthday as a captured soldier in the horrific October 7th attack. His family (and his extended family) have had no information whatsoever about his whereabouts since then. Yes, we know that he was abducted from his base on that day (see below for more information), but other than that no one knows anything. Is he alive? Is he well? Is he getting food and water? Is he alone or with other abductees? Where is he??
Tamir is a soldier in COGAT, The Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories, Coordination and Liaison Administration to the Gaza Strip. He was taken hostage from his base near the Erez Crossing on October 7.
Tamir had just gone to sleep in the early morning hours of October 7, when the base was attacked by Hamas terrorists. He had been with his friends in another part of the base, but got tired and went to bed.
When the sirens began, Tamir wrote to his mother, around 6:45 a.m., asking how she was and telling her there was a rocket attack. By 7:12 a.m., he had been abducted, along with his fellow soldiers Ron Sherman and Nik Baizer.Tamir’s friends who had remained in the other part of the base survived the attack.
When his family saw a Hamas video of him later that day, his mother noted that Tamir didn’t have his glasses. He and the others were seated on the floor, their hands behind their heads, looking down. “He can’t see a meter without his glasses,” Herut’s mother had said, with a mother’s natural concern for her son. We cry out for all the mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers….
Since October 7th both Herut and Alon have been flying to Europe and the States, to get help and support for Tamir and all the hostages. One of Tamir's grandfathers, from his mother's side, was my uncle and an American citizen. His mother's grandfather was a German citizen who went through the Holocaust and came to Israel after WWII. When Tamir first joined the army, the family had been in the process of getting him German citizenship.
Tamir is a very special person. I didn’t know him that well until he got interested and involved in the genealogy of his grandfather's (my uncle) heritage. He spent hours and hours every day finding out all he could about my mother's side of the family (Tamir's grandfather was my mother's brother). He learned how to speak English, German, and some Polish so he could be in touch with those countries to get information. He also roped me into helping him get whatever information I could give him, when my mother was still alive. I then got information from my only living aunt and sundry cousins from my mother's side. Tamir had made a family tree going back at least 7 generations.
Now that he is in captivity, none of the family can continue this huge project he did. Every time I ask my aunt for some information, she says to me: Tamir would know, and we can't ask him.
In the Bible it is written that we help (redeem) captives before providing for the poor and covering them. We have no greater mitzvah than to redeem captives, since the captives are, in general, the hungry and the thirsty and naked and are in danger of their lives. Lifting our eyes from the ransom goes with, "Thou shalt not harden thine heart, nor lift thine hand" (Deuteronomy 15:7), and "Thou shalt not stand on the blood of thy neighbor" (Leviticus 19:16), and "I broke the bars of your yoke and made you walk erect." (Leviticus 26:13), and the Mitzvot, "open your hand to him" (Deuteronomy 15:8), and the Mitzvot, "and your brother shall live with you" (Leviticus 25:36), "You shall love your neighbor as yourself" (Leviticus 19:18), and "Deliver those who are being taken away to death" (Proverbs 24:11), and many such things. You don't have a greater mitzvah than to redeem captives.
Please pray for the return of all the hostages safe and sound, including Tamir ben Herut.
BRING THEM HOME NOW!